The event was led by the Ambassador of Iran to South Africa, Mansour Shakib Mehr, who has consistently shown his gratitude to South Africa for their continued support of Iran in the midst of their war with the US and Israel.
Many Iranians all over the world have taken the space to commemorate the revolutionary leader as he led the Islamic Revolution that brought down the Pahlavi monarchy in 1979 and established the Islamic Republic through a nationwide referendum in which the 98% of voters showed their support for the newly established political system of Iran.
Khomeini had been in exile where he fled to countries such as Turkey, Iraq, and France and while he was in exile he boldly led a movement that brought a decade long monarchy to permanently cease.
When he returned to Iran in 1979 he was welcomed home by millions of Iranians which was viewed as a major turning point in the country’s history. The foundations that he built for the political system of Iran was rooted in national independence, popular participation, and resistance to popular and resistance to foreign domination, which are principles that continue to be the foundation of the Islamic Republic’s policies and identity.
Imam Khomeini had passed on the June 3, 1989 at the age of 86 which had been almost a decade since the Islamic Revolution which saw his funeral draw millions of Iranians and has remained one of the largest public gatherings in modern history.
The programme commemorating the late Imam, had been rooted in the view of leadership as many of the revolutionary leaders of South Africa had been martyrs for the freedom of their own people this programme was seen as a cultural exchange. The programme was directed by Seyed Mostafa Daryabari, who opened the event by reflecting on the importance of holding spaces where dialogue can be had and also took a moment to honour the guests and speakers who participated in the proceedings.
The opening address was carried by Iran Ambassador Mansour Shakib Mehr as he stated that 4 June will always be remembered as a sad occasion in Iran’s history as it symbolises the sacrifices of martyrs and freedom fighters.
He also drew parallels of Iran’s struggles with that of South Africa as he also quoted South Africa’s first democratic president Nelson Mandela, in which he famously spoke of the freedom of the Palestinian people. “We know too well that our freedom is not complete without the freedom of the Palestinians”.
He also emphasised that Imam Khomeini was very much against the struggles that South Africans faced in the era of Apartheid as he noted that Iran had severed any relations they had with the Apartheid regime until South Africa became truly democratic.
Professor Zahra Mcdonald, addressed the guests at the event in which she highlighted the importance of South Africans understanding the legacy of Imam Khomeini as his teachings and values reflect the same ideals that were used to fight for freedom against the apartheid regime for South Africa.
She also extended heartfelt condolences to the people of Iran and to the family of the late Supreme Leader, and drew comparisons to loss of life of leaders such as Steve Biko and Chris Hani who had also dedicated their lives to fighting against the injustices experienced by the South African people due to Apartheid.
Ambassador Dr Mohammad Hossein Mokhtari had also made an address remotely with acknowledgements to Ambassador to South Africa, Shakib Mehr, for facilitating the event with the cultural consulate. He expressed the beliefs of Imam Khomeini regarding peace, as he stated that peace does not simply mean there is no war but also justice being at the forefront of achieving true peace. “Is lasting peace possible without justice?” said Mokhtari in his presentation. The programme featured a poetry reflection which was led by Feizel Kinennge, who is a student at Al-Mustafa International University and recited a poem called “The Recurring Vow”. The poem reflected the suffering of the people of Sudan, Congo, Gaza, and Yemen as well as other oppressed countries and communities across the globe.
The programme was then followed by a presentation from Professor Comfort Mkhize, who had highlighted the leadership qualities of Nelson Mandela with comparisons to Imam Khomeini. He also provided insight into Mandela’s upbringing and his commitment to South Africans being freed from the Apartheid regime. He reflected that the key similarities shared between Imam Khomeini and Nelson Mandela was that they both shared a vision of building free and just societies which are rooted in values of equality.
Even in today’s climate with the current conflict between Iran and the US and Israel there is still a fight for a revolution to prevail against imperialism.
One of the speakers at the programme included the youngest member of the Global Sumud Flotilla voyage, Hajar Kagiso Ahjum Mathee, who is currently 22 years of age.
She encouraged that young people should be pushed to take more initiative in terms of revolutionising and that it is truly the young generation who will have the capacity to change the course of history and destroy imperialism.
“We need to be pushing the young people forward, we need to be providing them with platforms because young people can change things, young begin these revolutions and young people are not just leaders of tomorrow but the leaders of today” said Mathee.
The programme concluded with a closing prayer led by Father Lawrence Ndlovu, who issued a prayer of peace, justice and forgiveness.
